14 Franklin Co EQIP Executive Summary

The USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Franklin County, Alabama, will hold a sign up for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) for the 2014 Fiscal Year. This signup will be held on a continuous basis. Any eligible land user who has a resource concern or problem on pastureland, cropland, forestland, or hay land may apply for assistance through this program.

The USDA work group has prioritized the resource concerns in Franklin County as:

Grazing Lands – Forest Health and Wildlife

Water Quality/Animal Waste

Erosion/Soil Quality

Irrigation Water Management (efficiency only)

All applications will be ranked using an environmental benefits worksheet and approvals will be given to the applications that will provide the greatest benefits, i.e. those receiving the most environmental points. Contracts will be developed for approved applications in order of descending environmental points, until all funds are obligated.

Applications will be batched and ranked. The first batching of applications will have a cut-off date of October 19, 2013. Subsequent batching dates will be announced as needed.

Applicants will be rated on a priority rating of high, medium, low and none. All applicants rated as high will be funded first, medium second, low third and none as funds are available.

A high priority will be given to applicants selecting one practice to address a resource concern, a medium priority to applicants selecting two practices, a low priority to applicants selecting three practices and an applicant selecting four or more practices will be rated last. Applicants may choose only one resource concern.

All applications received will be ranked according to the National 2014 EQIP ranking tool.

All practices, restrictions, limits, and payment rates will be the same as in the Alabama NRCS state approved EQIP Practice and Payment Schedule.

Limited Resource Farmers, New and Beginning Farmers, and Socially Disadvantaged Farmers will be paid at an increased payment rate.

Limitations

The Franklin County USDA work group set a limit for financial assistance on the following practices: